It is a well known practice for Web sites, particularly those involving e-commerce, to prompt a user to choose a specific language upon entering the site. Thereafter, the user is presented site data in the chosen language. For example, a user selection of “UK” as opposed to “USA” will cause subsequently presented site data to have UK English spellings, idioms, currency and the like. Every user, however, selecting a given language receives the exact same presentation of site data. In a similar manner, users of voice mail menus are early on presented with the opportunity to select a language in which to continue, e.g. English or Spanish. After making a specific language choice, every user choosing the same language receives the same subsequent messages.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,290 discloses a a system and method for presenting customized, personalized advice for a customer of a financial institution based on a customer profile generated by the system according to an analysis of the totality of the customer's interaction with the system. This system, and method, accommodates customer entry through a variety of modes including via a Web site, over a telephone line, at a kiosk and through an automated teller machine (ATM). A customer profile is maintained which includes a customer's choice of language and gender of voice used in presenting oral information. Many other aspects of personalized customer characteristics are also maintained relating to the customer's prior relationship history, financial status and product preferences.
It is generally accepted that people perceive information as more credible and more helpful when that information is phrased, orally or in writing, using pronouns in the person matching the speakers' typical usage. While users of computerized systems are in many ways presented information by those systems, which information is customized on many levels, it would be desirable to present information subsequent to a user's first contact with an automated computer system in a style matching that user's usual, and therefore assumed, preferred language usage pattern.